Multi-institutional Protocol Guidance for Pediatric Photon-counting CT.

Performing CT in children comes with unique challenges such as greater degrees of patient motion, smaller and densely packed anatomy, and potential risks of radiation exposure. The technical advancements of photon-counting detector (PCD) CT enable decreased radiation dose and noise, as well as increased spatial and contrast resolution across all ages, compared with conventional energy-integrating detector CT. It is therefore valuable to review the relevant technical aspects and principles specific to protocol development on the new PCD CT platform to realize the potential benefits for this population. The purpose of this article, based on multi-institutional clinical and research experience from pediatric radiologists and medical physicists, is to provide protocol guidance for use of PCD CT in the imaging of pediatric patients.

An Elite Privilege: Top-Ranked Medical Schools Provide Fewer Comparative Performance Data on Their Students.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to determine differences in the reporting of performance data on medical student performance evaluations (MSPEs) by medical school ranking. METHODS: MSPEs from all US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools received by a single diagnostic radiology residency program during the 2021-2022 application cycle were retrospectively reviewed. Preclinical class and core clerkship grades were categorized as pass/fail or multitiered. Comparative summative assessments provided in the MSPEs were recorded. Medical schools were grouped by their US News & World Report rankings, and the proportion of reported performance metrics for each group was compared. RESULTS: Information from 95% of US allopathic medical schools (148 of 155) and 73% of osteopathic medical schools (27 of 37) was collected, on the basis of 1,046 applications received. For preclinical classes, multitiered grading was reported by no schools ranked in the top 10, 17% of schools ranked 11th to 50th, 52% of schools ranked 51st to 100th, and 59% of unranked schools (P < .001). For core clinical clerkships, multitiered grades were reported by 70% of the top 10 ranked schools, 90% of schools ranked 11th to 50th, 94% of those ranked 51st to 100th, and 94% of unranked schools (P = .0463). Comparative summative assessments were reported by none of the top 10 ranked schools, 56% of schools ranked 11th to 50th, 80% of those ranked 51th to 100th, and 81% of unranked schools (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher ranked medical schools are less likely to provide comparative assessment data on their MSPEs, which may disadvantage students from lower ranked medical schools.

Hepatic manifestations of systemic disease: an imaging-based review.

The liver is responsible for many processes that maintain human metabolic homeostasis and can be affected by several pediatric systemic diseases. In this manuscript, we explore key pathological findings and imaging features across multiple modalities of a spectrum of congenital, metabolic and autoimmune disorders. Strengthening the radiologists' knowledge regarding potential hepatic manifestations of these systemic diseases will ultimately lead to improved care for pediatric patients.